Pony losing weight quickly

[gypsyroselee]

Over the last week and a half - two weeks Ky has lost a fair bit of weight.

She was a tiny bit overweight before hand but now I can see her ribs easily. She doesn't look unhealthy but I'm worried at the speed at which she is loosing weight. I don't want her to lose anymore over the winter.

Currently she's fed on hifi lite and pink powder with hay in the morning and again in the evening. She is out 24/7 and rugged. She's wormed and vacc'd.

Last year when I got her she was very over weight going into winter but we got her down to a healthy weight over a healthy time scale. But I was told she was a good doer over winter.

The weather this year has been extreme and the fields have been iced/snowed over for at least a week and it doesn't look likely to melt any time soon. Also, I haven't been able to ride over the last three weeks due to the weather.

Any ideas on anything I could add to her feed? Anything I should be doing? Any help much appreciated!

[mandal]

Check her temperature and pulse etc. A low grade infection could cause fast weight loss as well as this awfully cold weather. Has she had hay in the field too? If not this will help I'm sure.

[jackiedo]

Bailey's number one as a sloppy feed, helped April tremendously

[mandal]

Apologies I didn't read the out 24/7 bit so thought she was out in the day and in at night!

[gypsyroselee]

Thank you both!!

I'll check her pulse and temperature first thing tomorrow and see if I can borrow some Baileys until I can get it delivered on Tuesday.

[portiabuzz]

hope shes ok xx

[jill]

How old is she and what are her water intake and urine output like? Thinking IR, Cushings etc - to lose weight that fast is a sign of an underlying condition IMO, and if she is getting plenty of hay (for her size), I would get a vet check, bloods etc.

[gypsyroselee]

Thanks Portiabuzz!

Jill - She's 11. At the moment her water is filled up twice a day (pipes have frozen). When I give her her morning feed she drinks straight afterwards for a minute or so and after/during eating her hay. Haven't noticed any difference in the intake, though she is sharing her trough with 4 other horses.

She never urinates anywhere other than her field so I'm not aware of how much/often she goes......

Her hay is given to her in the field and there are four others in there with her. She is at the bottom of the pecking order so perhaps not getting as much as she should be... I'll check this out tomorrow also.